However, delays were also marked in Illinois, typically the
second-biggest corn producing state, where "corn planting progressed to 5% complete
but remained well behind the five year average of 22%", USDA scouts said.

In neighbouring Indiana - where plantings, at 1% completed
were 13 points behind the average – sowing had begun "in very limited
quantities, restricted mostly to southern districts", scouts said, adding that "most
farmers are still waiting for soil temperatures to improve".

Further north in Minnesota, another big corn growing state,
most farmers "are still waiting for suitable conditions to begin planting", with
sowings registered at zero, compared with the 9% usually completed by now.

And in Iowa, the top corn state, seedings were 2% complete,
9 points behind the average pace.

"Rain and cool temperatures early in the week continued to
slow fieldwork," scouts said.

Lesson from last year

Nonetheless, many commentators shrugged off the setback, with
Richard Feltes at Chicago broker RJ O'Brien noting that last year, when sowings
progress was even slower, at 4% completed nationally by now, the US harvest
ended up with a record corn harvest.

"Recall that the US corn yield last year of 158.8 bushels
per acre was achieved despite the majority of the corn crop being planted in
late May, and slightly below normal June-July and August precipitation," Mr
Feltes said.

"The corn market won't get excited about the corn situation
unless delays persist beyond the Monday May 5 update," with some viewing May 1
as a key sowing deadline, after which yield potential falls, although other
commentators use mid-May.

'Planting progress
could surge'

In fact, corn sowings are expected to show rapid progress
for now, thanks to improved weather

"Weather forecasts suggest fair planting weather for the
next few days," CHS Hedging said, if noting that ", rains should move through
according to the 5-to-10 day weather forecast", helping corn already planted
but potentially slowing fieldwork.

At Singapore-based Phillip Futures, Vanessa Tan said that "should
US planting conditions remain favourable, planting progress could surge during
the next crop progress report".

Weather service MDA told investors to expect "only minor
delays to fieldwork and early corn planting" from showers yesterday and expected
on Thursday.

'Fieldwork delayed'

The USDA report showed delays in sowings of other crops too,
including sugar beet, for which plantings, at 11% complete, were 18 points
behind the average, and rice at 32% finished rather than the typical 44%.

In oats, sowings were 20% complete, well behind the 55%
usually finished by now, and even last year's result of 41%.

On spring wheat too, plantings were well behind, at 10%
finished, compared with 19% usually.

In the main producing state of North Dakota, where only 1%
of spring wheat was in the ground, "fieldwork continued to be delayed with soil
temperatures still in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit", USDA scouts said, if adding
that "reports indicated that, on average, producers intended to begin fieldwork
by April 29".

And for cotton, sowings, at 9% finished, were 3 points
behind the average, including in the top growing state of Texas, where "some
producers were waiting on more precipitation before making final planting
decisions".

'Record breaking cold'

As for the important winter wheat condition rating, this
held at a meagre 34%, in terms of the proportion of the crop rated "good" or "excellent".

The national figure disguised some improvement in soft red
winter wheat-growing states, such as Illinois and Ohio, while seedlings in hard
red winter wheat-growing areas continued to deteriorate.

In Kansas, a hard red winter wheat state, and indeed the top
wheat grower overall, the proportion of crop rated good or excellent dropped 2
points to 24%, after early-week frosts.

In Oklahoma, which suffered "record breaking cold" for the
time of year, the proportion of winter wheat rated good or excellent dropped 3
points to 11%.